Dawood Safi Admits Manslaughter of Wayne Broadhurst in Uxbridge

An Afghan migrant has admitted to the "frenzied" killing of a man, as well as stabbing his landlord and a teenage boy, while experiencing a severe psychotic episode.

Dawood Safi, 23, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday to face charges relating to a series of violent attacks in Midhurst Gardens, Uxbridge, West London, on October 27.

On the opening day of his trial, Safi pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Wayne Broadhurst on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The court heard that Mr Broadhurst, who was not known to the defendant, was subjected to a random attack as he walked past the address with his dog. He died at the scene after suffering multiple stab wounds to his neck, chest, and side.

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Jonathan Laidlaw KC, prosecuting, informed the court that the manslaughter plea had been accepted by the Crown following reports from four separate medical experts.

The psychiatric assessments concluded that Safi was experiencing an "abnormality of mental functioning" at the time of the fatal attack.

"He was in a psychotic state, in other words he had lost contact with reality and he was unable to distinguish what was real and what was not,"

Mr Laidlaw stated, adding that the experts found the "random, nonsensical and frenzied nature" of the killing supported the conclusion that Safi was acutely unwell.

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Safi, who lived as a lodger with 45-year-old Shahzad Farrukh in the property's annex, was found armed with a large knife during the incident. He has also entered a guilty plea to one count of possessing an offensive weapon.

While the murder charge will no longer be pursued, Safi will stand trial for two counts of attempted murder relating to his landlord, Mr Farrukh, and a 14-year-old boy.

At a preliminary hearing last month, Safi admitted to the lesser charges of grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to Mr Farrukh, and actual bodily harm concerning the teenager

The Crown maintains the allegations of attempted murder for both surviving victims, with the trial commencing on Monday afternoon.

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The court was also informed of the defendant's background, noting that Safi entered the UK in a lorry in 2020 before claiming asylum, which was officially granted by the Home Office in 2022.

The Trial Continues….